David Bazan - How I Remember

3:14 for March 14th

With one eye open you can focus like a camera on whomever you are capturing
Without exception I prefer it as a way to document the objects of my interest

David Bazan - Selling Advertising

3:09 for March 9th

A song that was not so subtly written about Ryan Schreiber and his Pitchfork Media empire of bad journalism.

So if it starts to get you down:
Just pretend that you don’t make your living
from selling advertising,
tracking trends,
corralling demographics,
and maximizing traffic.

“Anyway, more people need to tell lazy, sloppy journalists to go fuck themselves.” - Bazan

Unsurprisingly, I am beside myself with excitement to see him play in Buffalo next Thursday. 

David Bazan - Backwoods Nation



 

‘Aint it a shame
When due process
Stands in the way
Of swift justice. 

David Bazan - Cold Beer And Cigarettes (steelopus cover)

Tonight I’ll be seeing this man, my favorite musician, playing in a living room for about 40 people. It’ll be my 8th (or 9th? or 10th?) Bazan show (including Pedro The Lion) and I’m undeniably excited. I never get tired of his music or his performances and I’m continually awed by his talent.

I’ve never heard another artist craft songs that tell such perfect linear stories without using the standard verse/refrain format - in fact, a large number of his songs don’t even have a refrain/chorus at all. I wish I had a way with words, as I could never write something as perfect as this:

A white ghost, making his way up the West coast, trying to focus his high hopes, on a vagina or two. He’s taking his chances.

Meanwhile, back in his living room, bright smiles are watching his toddler run speed trials over her grandmother’s rug. And nature advances…

…Up the interstate. He’s been awake and pretty drunk for three whole days. No one wants to stop until they get to where they’re going. I’ll get to where I’m going, pretty soon.

So he takes another drink, cause watching the scenery bleed into each similar scene isn’t as sweet as it had been in his dreams.

It’s faster to buy cigarettes and some cold beer if you don’t rattle the cashier by asking her back to your room. She’s calling security!

A car’s on fire in the parking lot and nobody wants it to rain. But god isn’t listening - so all of the windshields glisten. The water and oil mix, causing the fire to spread to five or six innocent automobiles waiting in their nearby spots. What a cruel god we’ve got.

Right on.

So he takes another drink, cause watching the formula bleed into each similar thing isn’t as sweet as it had been in his dreams.

I like this song a lot - especially the chord progression during the “Up the interstate…” section. It’s magical.

(23 down. 17 to go.)

How I Remember - David Bazan - Live at The Black Cat, Washington D.C. - 20091016

This is from the show I attended with Nicky almost two months ago. I finally found the bootleg, and it’s confirmed my feelings that it was the best show I’ve ever seen, and I don’t lightly throw around compliments like that.

This, the 14th song of the night, is my highlight from the 19-song set.  It’s not my favorite Bazan song, but on this night it was.  The songs leading up to it were each perfectly sequenced and it culminated in this musical orgasm.